The Far West Equipment Dealers Association (FWEDA) board of directors met and ratified a membership vote to merge with Associated Equipment Distributors (AED). The merger is scheduled to finalize by the end of August.
“We are pleased with the outcome of the vote and look forward to the future with AED,” says FWEDA chairman Russ Ball.
AED is made up of construction, agriculture, mining, forestry, power generation and municipal equipment dealers. The merger confirms AED’s continued commitment to grow its representation of agricultural equipment distributors, currently representing 22% of its membership.
FWEDA rejected a merger with another association last year, which led FWEDA to seek an opportunity with AED.
FWEDA members will gain access to the full range of AED resources and benefits including benchmarking reports, employee education, seminars, technical assessments and legal call counsel. AED will continue to provide state lobbying efforts in the states served by FWEDA, in addition to its strong advocacy at the national level.
“We look forward to assimilating FWEDA members into the AED family and helping them meet the challenges of operating successful businesses,” says AED chairman Matt Di Iorio.
Established in 1946, FWEDA is a not-for-profit trade association representing the business interests of agricultural, industrial, material handling, hardware, outdoor power and rental equipment dealers in Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Nevada, Utah and Wyoming.
Established in 1919, AED is a not-for-profit international trade association based in Schaumburg, Illinois, representing companies involved in the sale, rental, manufacturing and support of equipment used in construction, mining, forestry, power generation, agriculture and industrial applications. AED enhances the ongoing success and profitability of its member companies through services and information including public policy advocacy, industry education and career development, industry research and analysis and conferences.